In the backyard of the wooden building, Lin Xuankong, who had practiced the Spiritual Crane Finger several times, was satisfied to see the dry trunk of the Old Willow Tree. Dozens of neat finger holes were distributed there, all of which he had just created with the Spiritual Crane Finger!
The feeling of piercing a hole with each strike was truly invigorating and also helped to train his arms and fingers, naturally making him unable to stop!
Just then, Lin Xuankong also tried it on a large bluestone. The Spiritual Crane Finger, when pointed at the bluestone, was quite powerful, each time shattering a fist-sized piece and sending stone debris flying everywhere.
But it was still a bit lacking compared to the Young Lady's Spiritual Crane Finger, which could pierce bluestone as if it were tofu. He definitely needed to reach the Perfection stage of the Transcendence First Layer to create a smooth hole with one finger!
After practicing for a while, seeing the sun set in the west, Lin Xuankong returned to the wooden building and tidied up for dinner.
At noon, before the Young Lady left, he had bought seven or eight delicious vegetarian and meat dishes. However, with their parting imminent, neither of them had much appetite, so more than half remained.
At this moment, facing the sumptuous dishes on the table, Lin Xuankong sat there feeling somewhat lonely and distressed. He thought for a moment, then went outside and walked toward Little Hu's house, a few wooden buildings away.
That little glutton! If he saw so many good dishes, he would surely drool!
Lin Xuankong walked to Little Hu's door with a smile but saw the door was tightly closed. He knocked several times, but no one answered.
So early to bed? Lin Xuankong was a bit surprised.
He frowned and knocked a few more times, but still seeing no response from the father and son, he had to return to his own home.
「...」
Early the next morning, Lin Xuankong finished practicing the Heart Method and Pile Technique. After drinking a portion of Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup to replenish his Qi Blood, he left the wooden building, heading towards the Li Mansion in the west of the city.
After passing Lishui Street, he entered a dense forest path.
It was still early, and the dense forest path was quiet.
In the misty morning fog, trees stood tall on both sides, green and vibrant. Beneath them, young grass sprouted with vigorous life, and clear dew clung to the leaves.
Lin Xuankong, with his white hair, breathed the fresh forest air. Such a beautiful morning! If the Young Lady were walking with me now, it would certainly be a different kind of pleasure!
Just as this thought crossed his mind, his steps suddenly halted. He looked ahead with some caution. In the morning fog, several dozen feet away beside a giant tree, three burly men emerged.
These three looked quite unfamiliar, but their thick, rough hands, broad shoulders, and strong waists clearly showed they were long-term Martial Dao practitioners.
Encountering three such strongmen on a remote path so early in the morning, Lin Xuankong naturally became vigilant.
At this moment, footsteps suddenly sounded behind him. Lin Xuankong turned to look, his gaze tightening.
It was Ma Xiong, holding a birdcage and strolling leisurely towards him, flanked by two Black-clothed Strongmen. Moreover, those two strongmen had sharp gazes and proud expressions, appearing even more imposing than Ma Xiong!
Lin Xuankong's face darkened slightly as he recalled the warning Little Hu had given him. Facing such a situation now, how could he not understand that these men were here for him!
Just as he expected, when Ma Xiong walked over, the three strongmen who had been standing by the giant tree also rushed forward. The six of them spread out, surrounding him, each with a mocking expression, looking at Lin Xuankong as if he were a dead man!
"Old Lin, you might as well bash your head against that tree and have a quick death!" Ma Xiong stated bluntly. "If you wait for my brothers to act, you won't escape some flesh wounds!"
After speaking, he no longer looked at Lin Xuankong, instead busying himself with feeding a few grains of millet to the bird in the cage.
In Ma Xiong's view, killing an old and decrepit man like Lin Xuankong wasn't worth his personal effort. Of course, being as cunning as he was, he wouldn't act personally even if he could, to avoid accumulating heavy karma!
Seeing Ma Xiong's confident demeanor, Lin Xuankong's heart sank a bit, and his face showed a trace of tension.
The surrounding six were clearly elite Gang Members of the Black Tiger Gang, each experienced in killing and had taken countless lives!
Though he had reached the Mid-grade of the Transcendence First Layer and was proficient in the Spiritual Crane Finger, he had never fought anyone, let alone in such a life-or-death struggle. Suddenly facing six men, how could he not be nervous!
Silently touching the Manluo Demon Pearl in his breast pocket, Lin Xuankong restrained the impulse to use it immediately. This is my trump card and can't be used lightly! Moreover, these six surely don't know my true strength. This is also my trump card, and I need to play it well...
Thinking this, a ruthless glint flashed in Lin Xuankong's eyes, but his face gradually showed an extremely panicked expression.
His voice trembled and stuttered, "Ma... Ma Xiong, I haven't offended any big figures in your Black Tiger Gang. Is there... is there some misunderstanding?"
As he spoke, he moved back shakily, approaching the three Black Tiger Gang members behind him.
Ma Xiong had no interest in paying attention to this "dead man." He happily teased the bird in the cage, as if the bird's meal was more significant than the life or death of the old man before him.
One of the Black Tiger Gang members behind Lin Xuankong patted the dust off his hands. "Old Lin, don't worry. We've already dug a pit for you; we won't let your body be exposed in the wild. Remember to thank me, I'm Han Si!
"Oh, by the way, the pit is in the forest. Come with me!"
Hearing this, the fear on Lin Xuankong's face grew more evident. His legs weakened, and his body swayed as he moved closer to the three of them. Seeing him so cowardly, these three Black Tiger Gang members couldn't help but sneer, their eyes full of disdain.
Among them, the one named Han Si reached out to grab Lin Xuankong's shoulder, ready to lift him, and said, "Actually, being buried alive isn't bad. You'll even keep your body intact..."
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Three sharp sounds suddenly burst forth.
Han Si and the other two Gang Members, initially sneering, were startled to find that Lin Xuankong, who had seemed almost on the verge of collapsing, suddenly moved like a startled rabbit, his fingers extended like a sword, striking at their foreheads.
His movements were extremely swift. Combined with the close distance, the three burly Black Tiger Gang members only had time for their expressions to change before each had a bloody hole in their forehead.
Soon, their eyes glazed over, and their bodies collapsed. They uttered strange gurgling sounds, their bodies twitching slightly. But with brain matter flowing from the wounds on their foreheads, it was clear the three were beyond saving!
This scene had unfolded too suddenly!
The seemingly frail old man, who looked as if he were about to kneel and beg for mercy, had unexpectedly killed three elite Gang Members as easily as slaughtering chickens. This completely caught Ma Xiong and the others off guard!
Even though the remaining Ma Xiong and his two men were battle-hardened elite Gang Members, who had weathered many storms, they couldn't help but reveal shocked expressions when suddenly faced with such a bizarre situation. Ma Xiong, who had been leisurely feeding the bird and felt he had everything under control, turned pale. In his astonishment, he even dropped the birdcage.
At this moment, Lin Xuankong hesitated not at all. He turned swiftly and charged towards the remaining three. As his feet touched the ground, the earth sank slightly, while his figure moved with incredible agility, like a Spiritual Crane taking flight!
In a flash, Lin Xuankong had already approached the Black-clothed Strongman on the left, his Spiritual Crane Finger darting towards the man's face.
This Black-clothed Strongman was one of the Hu Family Brothers hired by Ma Xiong. Having reached the Early Stage of the Transcendence First Layer days ago, his strength was naturally far superior to that of the three ordinary Gang Members!
Seeing Lin Xuankong's fingers strike towards him, this Black-clothed Strongman roared suddenly. He shifted his steps to retreat, dodging the Spiritual Crane Finger aimed at his forehead. His hands then formed tiger claws, grabbing towards Lin Xuankong's right arm.
When this Hu-surnamed Black-clothed Strongman exerted force, his sharp nails turned a pale silver, creating sharp ripping sounds. He was using the Black Tiger Shattering Golden Claw, the renowned Martial Dao of the Black Tiger Gang, feared throughout dozens of cities in Great Marsh Prefecture!